Manikins have been used for years for training individuals to perform chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth artificial respiration (collectively known as cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR). Manikins have also been used as an instructional adjunct for teaching mouth-to-mouth artificial respiration in situations when cardiac arrest is not a factor. In the past, such manikins have been built in several pieces often including hollow shells of somewhat flexible and resilient materials, with various tubes, bellows, air bladders, valves, and pressure sensors housed within the shells. Articulation of head and neck portions has been accomplished through use of various swivel or hinge joints interconnecting separate parts. Such complexity of manikins provides some realism in the simulation of performing rescue breathing and CPR using such manikins, but adds considerably to the initial cost as well as the cost of cleaning and maintaining such manikins.
The vast majority of existing manikin designs are made of professional-grade materials, so an instructor can repeatedly use it to teach large numbers of trainees. As a result, most CPR manikins are quite expensive—generally hundreds of dollars per unit. In addition, the complexity and cost of previously available manikins made them unaffordably expensive for home use, and thereby created an undesirable limitation on their availability for CPR training in the home.
Even manikins for intended for home use have important limitations. In one instance, the manikin is based on an inflatable torso, and is therefore susceptible to punctures or leaks. In addition, the manikin provides no feedback on hand position or compression depth—both of which are critical elements in providing proper chest compressions. Furthermore, the manikin includes an airway that is functional, but difficult to clean between users.
Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.